Ogwumike, Sims, Stewart named unanimous AP All-Americans ! Chiney Ogwumike says shes humbled to be an All-American again. Stanfords senior forward was honored as a member of the Associated Press All-America team for the second consecutive season, this time as an unanimous selection. Connecticuts Breanna Stewart and Baylors Odyssey Sims were also on all 36 ballots selected by the national media panel that votes in the weekly top 25. They were joined on the first team by Notre Dames Kayla McBride and Marylands Alyssa Thomas. That kind of stuff makes me feel good, Ogwumike said. Im chasing someone, trying to work to get better. For people to say that we all think youre a great player, its like wow. Its the seventh consecutive season with at least one unanimous choice. Voting was done before the NCAA tournament. That team does have a bit of everything, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. Without question, they are the five best players in America right now and fortunately, no one has to play against that five. Auriemma has a pretty good five of his own at UConn, including Stewart. The other four starters on his undefeated team garnered All-America votes, marking only the second time since the AP picked teams that a school has had five players selected. Seniors Stefanie Dolson and Bria Hartley made the second team, while Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Moriah Jefferson were honorable mention. Im thrilled for Stewie, Auriemma said. The fact that Bria and Stefanie were named to the second team is well deserved, and the fact that all five of our starters were recognized is quite an accomplishment. The Huskies also did it in 2002. I think it shows how strong we are as a team, Stewart said. We are not about just one player, we have a great group of players. We generally start the game strong because all five starters are talented and play extremely well together. Stewart has been the most consistent of the starting five, averaging nearly 20 points and eight rebounds. It really is quite an honor, Stewart said. I think the hard work in the offseason really paid off and I truly appreciate all my teammates and coaches have done to help me achieve this. While its sophomore Stewarts first appearance on the All-America team, Sims made it for the second consecutive season. Baylors sensational senior had an incredible year. She averaged 28 points to become only the second player ever to score more than 1,000 in a single season. She fell just eight points short of Jackie Stiles record of 1,062 points. Shes had a phenomenal year, Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. Shes bailed us out of a lot of games, but yet as the season progressed, she started trusting her teammates more. While Sims was a one-person show at times, McBride had help in guiding Notre Dame to its undefeated record. The senior guard averaged 17.4 points for the Irish, with sophomore Jewell Loyd earning second team honors and senior Natalie Achonwa making third team. It truly is an honor to be part of this group, McBride said. Its great that Jewell and Natalie also were recognized because theyve been such a huge part of our success. Thomas has saved her best performances for the end of her college career. She averaged a double-double this season with more than 18 points and nearly 11 rebounds a game to get Maryland to the regional final. She had a career-high 33 points in a Sweet 16 victory against Tennessee that got the Terps back to the Elite Eight. Its just an honor to be an All-American once again, said Thomas, who also was on the first team as a sophomore. There are a lot of great players in the game and to be named an All-American is pretty amazing. Im just grateful to be one of them. Joining Hartley, Dolson and Loyd on the second team were Louisvilles Shoni Schimmel and Nebraskas Jordan Hooper. The third team includes South Carolinas Tiffany Mitchell, Penn States Maggie Lucas, Dukes Tricia Liston and Elizabeth Williams and Achonwa. Four of the five All-Americans were on the preseason team, along with Mosqueda-Lewis. McBride earned honorable mention. 2014 ALL AMERICA TEAM : PLAYER . SCHOOL . POSITION Kayla McBride Notre Dame Guard Chiney Ogwumike Stanford Guard Odyssey Sims Baylor Guard Breanna Stewart Connecticut Forward Alyssa Thomas Maryland Forward Chiney Ogumike is an All-American for the second consecutive year, along with Baylors Odyssey Sims.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 23:43:42 +0000
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